Red Lentil Curry Dip with Chard and Naan

Just because we send you a recipe doesn’t mean you have to follow it. As Julia Child famously said, “You’re alone in the kitchen.” The ingredients we send are yours to explore. Say you order our Red Lentil Curry this week, but now you need an appetizer for a dinner party. You can hack your basket and—using the same ingredients—make a party-ready spread complete with naan and carrot sticks for dipping.

Do you ever go “off recipe” with your Sun Basket? We’d love to hear about your favorite hacks. Share them on Instagram with the hashtag #sunbaskethack

Red Lentil Curry Dip with Chard and Naan Basket Hack

Ingredients
1 cup chickpeas
1 bunch chard
Olive oil
¾ cup red lentils
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
½ teaspoon Marash chile flakes, (optional)
1 cup diced tomatoes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 red onion
1 to 2 carrots
Fresh dill
1 piece naan bread

Tools
Food processor or blender, strainer, medium sauce pot, medium frying pan, optional 

Instructions

1 Prep the chickpeas and chard

  • Rinse the chickpeas.
  • Strip the chard leaves from the stems; coarsely chop the leaves.  

2 Cook the lentils

In a medium pot, warm 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the lentils, coriander, ginger, turmeric, granulated garlic, and as much Marash chile as you like. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the lentils are tender, 18 to 20 minutes.

While the lentils cook, prepare the chard leaves.

3 Cook the chard leaves

  • Peel and coarsely chop the red onion.
In a medium pan, warm 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until starting to caramelize, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer half of the onion to a plate and reserve for the dip. Add the chard leaves to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the chard is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the chard leaves to a serving bowl.

4 Puree the dip

When the lentils are tender, using a slotted spoon, transfer the lentil-tomato mixture to a blender or food processor. Add the reserved onion and ¼ cup of the lentil cooking liquid to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, adding more liquid to thin the dip if desired. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer to a serving dish.

5 Prep the carrots and dill; toast the naan

  • Trim the top from the carrot; cut the carrot in half crosswise, then lengthwise into quarters.
  • Coarsely chop the dill.  

In a dry pan over medium heat, or in a toaster, toast the naan until browned and slightly crisp but still pliable, 2 to 3 minutes. Tear into 2 pieces.

6 Serve

Garnish the lentil dip with the dill, and serve with chard, naan, and carrot sticks alongside.

 

Total time range: 30 to 40 minutes

Makes about 3 cups of dip

Nutrition per serving (about 2 Tablespoons of dip): Calories: 50, Protein: 2 g, Total Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1.5 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0 g, Saturated Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Carbohydrates: 6 g, Fiber: 2 g, Added Sugar: 0 g, Sodium: 60 mg. Please note, naan and carrots not included in nutritional information.